Retaining device



A. L. MANsFlELD RETAINING DEVICE Sept. 5, 1933.

Filed May 5, 1933 Patented Sept. 5, 1933 PATEN OFFICE RETAINING DEVICE Arthur L. Mansfield, Bristol, Conn, assignor to e The E. ingraham Company, Bristol, Cnn., a

corporation Application May 5, 1933. Serial No. 669,526

8 Claims. ((1287-52) This invention relates to improvement in means or devices for holding mechanical parts or elements securely in assembled relationship,

and while admirably adapted for use in holding clock parts together, its use is not so limited.

An object of the present invention is to provide superior, reliable and convenient whereby mechanical parts or features may be held in assembled relationship and designed with particular reference to security,' despite vibration, etc.

A further object is to provide superior and convenient meansQwherby the parts may not only be securely held together but readily-sepi arated, if so desired.

Other objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, taken in conjunction with-the accompanying drawing and the appended claims. 1

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the rotor-unit of an electric motor, showing an inertia-disk secured thereto by means of a retaining device constructed in accordance with the present invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a broken view thereof in transverse section on a greatly-enlarged scale! Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the retaining-member shifted axially, preparatory to being removed;

Fig. 4 is a broken transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 1 of Fig. 2 but on a smaller ing staked to it a sleeve-dike mounting-member 11. Intermediate its ends, the said mountingmember is formed with an annular flange 12 against one face of which rests a disk-like rotor 13 having peripheral polar-projections 1d and rigidly held in place upon the said mountingmember by swaging the latter over, as at 15.

Mounted upon the mounting-member 11 withcapacity for rotary movement with respect thereto is an inertia-disk 16 resting against that face of the flange 1 2 lying opposite the rotor 13. The said mounting-member is annularly grooved to provide what may be aptly termed a neck 17, an annular laterally-facing locking-abutment 18 extending substantially parallel to the axisof the mounting-member, and an inwardly-facing stop-abutment 19 extending transversely of the said axis-al1 for the purpose as will more ,fully hereinafter appear. 1

Embracing the locking-abutment 18 and normally bearing against the stop-abutment 19 of the mounting-member 11 is a washer-like retaining member 20 which is characterized by being provided with a keyhole-slot 21, which latter may, for convenience of description, be saidto comprise a body-portion 22 and a contracted throat-portion 23. The body portion 22 of the said keyhole-slot is of sufficient size to receive the annular locking-abutment 18'of the'mounting-member 11, while its throat-portion 23 is of sufiicient width to permit the edgewise passage of the retaining-memberover the neck 17 of the said mounting-member but of insufficient width to permit the edgewise movement of the retaining mcmber whenlthe same is registered with and embracing the said locking-abutmentlli.

For the purpose of normally holding the retaming-member 20 against the stop-abutment 19 and in radial alignment with the locking-abutment 18 of the mounting-member. 11 (and hence out of registration with the neck 17 thereof), I

employ a sheet-=metal spring-memberot washer 2% preferably provided, as shown, with three (more or less) resilientradial arms'25 bearing against'the adjacent face of the inertia-disk 16 and having a central passage 26 of sufficient size to. permit it to be axially passed over the end of the mounting-member 11.

Let it be presumed that the inertia-disk 16 is in place upon the mounting-member 11 and that it is desired to, retain the same in place with capacity for being readily removed if desired. With the disk 16 in place as stated, the spring-member 24 is now slipped axially overv the said mounting-member 11 and placed under pressure, so as to flatten it into substantially the position in which it is shown in Fig. '3. The retaining-member 20 may now be laterally applied over'the neck 17 of the mounting-member, inasmuch as the throat-portion 23 of the keyhole-slot 21 is of suitable size to permit this movement. When the retaining member is moved into such position that the main or bodyportion 22 of its keyhole-slotZl is in axial regno istration with the annular locking-abutment 18, pressure upon the spring-member 24 may be released to thus permit the said spring to axially move the said retaining-member 20 outwardly into engagement with the stop-abutment 19 and into radial alignment with the said lockingabutment 18-. The parts will now have assumed the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 2, in which the retaining-member 20 rests against the stop-abutment 19 and is interlocked with the locking-abutment 18 against radial displacement with respect thereto, owing to the fact that the throat-portion 23 of its keyhole-slot 21 is of less width than the width of the said locking-abutment 18, as before pointed out.

If at any time it is desired to remove the disk 16, the spring 24 may be depressed into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, so that the retaining-member 20 is in line with the neck 17, which is of lesser diameter than the width of the throat-portion 23 of the keyhole-slot. When aligned as just described, the retaining-member may be slipped radially outward and removed,

"to thus permit the spring-member 24 and the inertia-disk 16 to be axially removed from the mounting-member 11.

' As before pointed out, the particular features retained in place by means of my invention may vary widely and it will be understood that the rotor-structure herein shown is merely illustrative; The neck 17 and the abutments 18 and 19 may be formed directly upon a shaft, stud, or

other suitable mounting-member, rather than in a hub-type mounting-member 11, as shown.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in ing-abutment and a contracted neck-portion adjacent thereto; a retaining-member having a 'keyhole-like slot therein, the body-portion of which latter is sized to receive the locking-abutment of the said mounting-member and the throat-portion of the said slot being smaller than the body-portion from which it extends but of a size to be passed laterally over the contracted neck-portion of the said mountingmember; and spring-means yieldingly holding the said retaining-member in lateral registration with the locking-abutment of the said mountingmember and out of registration with the contracted neck-portion thereof.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a member to be retained; of a mounting-member mounting the said member to be retained and having a laterally-facing locking-abutment and a contracted neck-portion adjacent thereto; a retaining-member having a keyhole-like slot therein, the body-portion of which latter is sized to receive the locking-abutment of the said mounting-member and the throat-portion of the said slot being smaller than the body-portion from which it extends but of a size tobe passed laterally over the contracted neck-portion of the said mounting-member; and a sheet-metal spring-washer encircling the said mounting-member and yieldingly holding the said retainingnnember in lateral registration with the locking-abutment of the said mounting-member and out of registration with the contracted neck-portion thereof.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a member to be retained; of a mounting-member mounting the said member to be retained and having an annular laterallyfacing locking-abutment and an annular contracted neck-portion adjacent thereto; a retaining-member having a keyhole-like slot therein, the body-portion of which latter is sized to receive the annular locking-abutment of the said mounting-member and the throat-portion of the said slot being smaller than the bodyportion from which it extends but of a size to be passed laterally over the annular contracted neck-portion of the said mounting-member; and spring-means yieldingly holding the said retaining-member in lateral registration with the annular locking-abutment of the said mountingmember and out of registration with the annular contracted neck-portion thereof.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a member to be retained; of a mounting-member mounting the said member to be retained and having an annular laterallyfacing locking-abutment and an annular con tracted neck-portion adjacent thereto; a retaining-member having a keyhole-like slot therein, the body-portion of which latter is sized to receive the annular locking-abutment of the said mounting member and the throat-portion of the said slot being smaller than the body-portion from which it extends but of a size tobe passed laterally over the annular contracted neck-portion of the said mounting-member; and a sheetmetal spring-washer encircling the said mounting-member and yieldingly holding the said retaining-member in lateral registrationjwith the.

annular locking-abutment of the said mounting-member and out of registration with the annular contracted neck-portion thereof.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a member to be retained; of a mounting-member mountingthe said member to be retained and having a laterally-facing locking-abutment flanked on one side by an over- 'hanging stop-abutment and ion the other side by a contracted neck-portion; a retaining-member having a keyhole-like slot therein, the bodyportion of which latter is sized to receive the locking-abutment of the said mounting-member and the throat-portion of the said slot being smaller than the body-portion from which it extends but of a size to be passed laterally over the contracted neck-portion of the said mounting-member; and spring-means yieldingly holding the said retaining-member against the said stop-abutment and in lateral registration with the locking-abutment of the said mountingmember and out of registration with the contracted neck-portion thereof.

67 In a device of the class described, the combination with a member to be retained; of a mounting-member mounting the said member to be retained and having. a laterally-facing locking-abutment flanked on one side by an overhanging stop-abutment and on the other side by a contracted neck-portion; a retaining-member having a keyhole-like slot therein, the body-portion of which latter is sized to receive the locking-abutment of the said mountingmember and the throat-portion of the said slot being smaller than the body-portion from which it extends but of a size to be passed laterally over the contracted neck-portion oi the said mounting-member; and a sheet-metal spring- Washer encircling the said mounting-member and yieldingly holding the said retaining-merm ber against the said stop-abutment and in lateral registration with the said locking-abutment of the said mounting-member and out of registration with the contracted neck-portion thereof.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a member to be retained; of a mounting-member mounting the said member to be retained and having an annular laterally-facing locking-abutment flanked on one side by an overhanging stop-abutment and on the other side by an annular contracted neck-portion; a retaining-member having a keyhole-like slot therein, the body-portion of which latter is sized to receive the annular locking-abutment of the said mounting-member and the throat-portion of the said slot being smaller than the body-portion from which it extends but of a size to be passed laterally over the annular contracted neck-portion of the said mountingmember; and springmeans yieldingly holding the said retaininge member against the said stop-abutment and in lateral registration with the annular lockingabutment of the said mounting-member and out of registration with the annular contracted neckportion thereof.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a member to be retained; of a mounting-member mounting the said member to be retained and having an annular laterallyfacing locking-abutment flanked on one side by an overhanging stop-abutment and on the other side by an annular contracted neck-portioma retaining-member having a keyhole-slot therein, the body-portion of which latter is sized to receive the annular locking-abutment of the said mounting-member and the throat-portion of the said slot being smaller than the body-portion from which it extends but of a size to be passed laterally over the annular contracted neck-portion of the said mounting-member; and a sheetmetal spring-Washer encircling the said mounting-member and yieldingly holding the said retaining-rnember against the said stop-abutment and in lateral registration with the said lockingabutment of the said mounting-member and out of registration with the contracted neckportion thereof.

ARTHUR L. MANSFIELD. 

